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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. mate — a partner
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wind — moving air
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. tear — to rip
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mate — a friend
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mark — a grade
  22. tear — from crying
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com